Gummed material dispenser



y 1955 J. c. SODERBERG 2,713,438

GUMMED MATERIAL DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 14, 1952 INVENTOR. JbH/v C. SODERBERG United States Patent GUMM'ED MATERIAL DISPENSER John C. Soderberg, Detroit, Mich.

Application May 14, 1952, Serial No. 287,670

11 Claims. (Cl. 2l625) This invention relates to a dispensing device for affixing gummed paper matter to a pre-moistened receiving surface, especially stamps, labels or the like to postcards, envelopes or the like, an object of the invention being to provide an improved dispensing device which will effectively meet various requirements for dispensing gummed I envelop to which the stamp is to be afiixed, means for feeding the stamp into position to be affixed to the envelop, and means for shearing the stamp from the strip and for pressing the same onto the moistened area of the envelop, all of which means are actuated in proper correlated sequence as a result of a single simple actuation I movement by the dispenser operator.

More particularly, the improved dispensing device embodied in the present invention comprises a base structure having means adapted to rotatably support a rolled strip of postage stamps or other gummed paper matter, a member or arm pivotally mounted on said base having means for guiding the strip of stamps or the like to the dispensing location, means carried on said member or arm for feeding said strip, means pivotally associated with said member or arm having one part thereof adapted to moisten a predetermined area of the surface which is to receive the stamp or the like as another part thereof simultaneously actuates the feeding means, both of which actions occur as the free end of the member or arm is swung toward the base by the dispenser operator, and

means adapted upon conclusion of the swinging movement of the member or arm to shear the stamp or the like from the strip and press the same to the moistened receiving surface.

Other objects and features of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a vertical longitudinal section with parts in elevation of a dispenser constructed according to the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of the dispenser shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the operative relationship of the parts in an intermediate position of operation thereof.

Fig. 3 illustrates the operative relationship of the dispenser parts in the final position of operation thereof.

Fig. 4 is a top elevation of the dispenser with the parts thereof in the position shown in Fig. 3.

The dispensing device in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive comprises a base which may be fabricated out of any suitable material, such as wood,

2,713,438 Patented July 19, 1955 ice plastic or metal. The base 10 is provided with suitable rubber or felt buttons or pads 11 to prevent marring or scratching of the table or desk on which the device is being used. On the upper surface of the base and at one end thereof, the right end as viewed in the drawings, two spaced brackets 12 are fastened in any convenient manner, for example, by means of screws 13 to the base. The brackets 12 are provided with extensions 14 having aligned shaft receiving notches 15 therein. The shaft receiving notches 15 are adapted to removably receive the extending ends of a shaft 16 having a roller 17 journalled thereon. The shaft 16 and roller 17 assembly are adapted to rotatably support a roll of gummed paper matter or, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, a rolled strip of postage stamps 9.

A channel shaped member or arm 18 is pivotally mounted at its right end, as viewed in the drawings, on a shaft 19 spanning the space between the two bracket members 12. A second channel shaped member 20 is spot welded or brazed to the underside of the member or arm 18. The second channel shaped member 20 is somewhat shorter than the member 18 and as shown in the drawings is positioned so that it extends from a point approximately intermediate the right end and the center of the arm 18 to a point near the left end of the arm 18. The arm 18 is provided with a substantially T-shaped aperture 21 in the base 18a thereof, the head of the T lying a short distance to the left of the right end of the channel shaped member 20. As best seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the base 2% of the member 20 is spaced from the base 18:: of the member 18, the space being of sufficient dimension to provide for free passage of a strip of stamps or the like between the two members upon the strip being fed through the head of the T-shaped aperture into said space.

Pivotally mounted on a shaft 22 journalled in the side walls of the channel shaped member or arm 18 at a point approximately intermediate the ends thereof is an actuating member generally designated 23. The member 23 comprises two spaced parallel leg portions 24 connected, as viewed in Fig. 1, at their lower end by a pin 25, at an intermediate section by a cross-brace 26, and at their upper ends by a bridge section 27. The leg portions 24 are journalled on the shaft 22 at a point approximately one-fourth of the way down from the upper ends thereof. The various functions of the actuating member 23 will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Means is provided for automatically feeding the strip of stamps or the like toward the left end of the dispenser as viewed in the drawings after the stamps have been manually inserted into the slot between the bases 18a and 20a of the two channel shaped members 18 and 20, respectively. The feeding means comprises a toothed roller 28 positioned over a portion of the opening 21 in the base 18a of the member or arm 18. The illustrated toothed roller 28 has three equilaterally spaced segments 29 which are provided with serrations 30 on the periphery thereof. The illustrated toothed roller 28 has been designed to advance regular size postage stamps and accordingly the chordal distance between corresponding points on the periphery of adjacent segments is substantially equal to the width of a regular postage stamp. It will be readily understood that the toothed roller may be modified with regard to the number of contact segments and as to the effective diameter to give any desired rate and degree of advance. The illustrated toothed roller 28 has been designed to effectively advance the strip of postage stamps a distance equivalent to the length of one stamp per each one-third revolution of the cam.

The toothed roller 28 is rotatably supported on a shaft 31, the ends of which are seated in aligned notches 32 in the walls of the member or arm 18. The foregoing construction and arrangement permits up and down movement of the roller relative to the base 2% of the channel member 20 as the roller is turned. Spring means 33 are provided to urge the roller downwardly at all times and to restore it to its lowermost position after each upward movement.

The toothed roller is turned or partially rotated by means of a resilient finger 34 having a hook portion 35 on the free end thereof, the finger being rigidly fastened at its other end on the bridge section 27 of the actuating member 23. It will be noted that when the parts of the dispenser are in the positions shown in Fig. l the bridge section extends over the toothed roller 28 and the resilient finger 34 projects downwardly so that the hook portion 35 thereof is hooked under one of the segmer .s 29. It will be noted in Fig. 4 that the serrations do not extend completely across the peripheral surfaces of the segments 29 but are only at the side edges thereof.

The width of the recess or notch 36 between the serrated edges is of sutficient dimension to ensure easy passage of the resilient finger 34 into the hooking position shown in Fig. l.

A coil spring 37 is provided having one end thereof fastened to the bridge section 27 of the actuating member 23 and its other end to a bracket 38 rigidly secured near the left end of the member or arm 18. The purpose of the spring 37 will be apparent as the description of the invention proceeds.

The pin 25 which has been mentioned as related to the lower ends of the leg portions 24 of the actuating member 23 provides a shaft on which a roller 39 is journalled. The roller 39 is composed of a wettable material and is adapted to carry sufficient liquid from a well 10a in the base 10 to the surface of an envelop or the like to which the stamp or the like is to be attached.

Slidably mounted in a framework comprising the bracket 38, extensions 18c of the sidewalls 18b of the channel shaped member or arm 18 and another bracket 44) fastened to the extreme end of member or arm 18 is a shearing and pressing member 41 comprising a box like structure having a fiat plate portion 42 at the lower end thereof, one edge of which is adapted to coact with the left end edge 43, as viewed in the drawings, of the base 20a of the channel member 20 to shear a stamp or the like from the strip, as will be more fully explained. Housed within the framework of the shearing and pressing member 41 is a compression spring 44- adapted to restore the member 41 to its normal inoperative position after actuation. The loWer end of the spring abuts against a plate 4-5, the ends of which project through aligned slots 46 in two opposite walls of the member 40. The ends of the plate 45 are turned down to form tabs 47 which are welded or otherwise securely fastened to the extensions 13c of the channel shaped member or arm 13. The spring reacts against the cover plate 48 on the member 41, the cover plate being preferably removable to permit access to the spring if desired.

As best seen in Fig. 4, the base 10 is provided with a positioning bar 49 adapted to approximately position an envelop 50 or the like so that a stamp may be afiixed to the usual corner thereof.

To prepare the dispensing device embodied in the present invention for operation, a roll of stamps 9 or the like is mounted on the roller 17. The free end of the strip is then fed into the T-shaped aperture 21 until the end edge thereof is in alignment with the shearing edge 43 of the base 26a of the channel member 20. The dispensing device is now ready for operation.

In operation, an envelop 50 or the like is positioned relative to the positioning bar 49, the envelop being placed so that the corner thereof to which it is desired to affix the stamp is adjacent the roller 39. It is then only necessary for the dispenser operator to exert manual pressure on the cover plate 48 and thereby cause the member or arm 18 to be swung toward the base. Swinging movement of the arm or member 18 toward the base 10 results in the actuating member 23 swinging about its pivot axis 22. The swinging movement of the actuating member 23 results in two things happening simultaneously. First, the roller 39 rolls through the liquid in the well 10a and then up and out of the well onto the surface of the envelop or the like, thereby moistening the surface to which the stamp is to be attached. As this is occurring, the hooked portion 35 of the finger 34 mounted on the bridge portion 27 of the actuating member is exerting a lifting action on the segment 29 of the toothed roller 28 with which it is in contact, thereby causing the toothed roller to rotate about its shaft 31. The serrations 3:) on the other segment 29 in contact with the strip of stamps 9 grips the stamp strip and begins to advance the strip out beyond the edge 43 of the channel shaped member 20.

At substantially half the travel of the arm 38 toward the base it the parts of the mechanism are as shown in Pig. 2. The roller 39 has travelled a substantial distance along the surface of the envelop 50 or the like, moistening the same as it rolls thereover. The hook portion 35 of the finger 34 is just about ready to lose contact with the toothed roller 28. The toothed roller 28 is still advancing the strip of stamps past the shearing edge. It will be noted that the toothed roller 28 is tilted on the edge of the serrations 36. At approximately the moment that the hook finger 35 loses contact with the toothed roller 28, the toothed roller 28 becomes overbalanced and the segment 29 approaching the strip of stamps snaps over quickly. The spring 33 in eifect accelcrates this last degree of turning movement of the toothed roller 28. Thus, the stamp will actually be ad vanced fully into position to be sheared from the strip 9 before the parts of the device reach the final position shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be noted that the roller 39 has travelled beyond the path of the free end of the arm 18, permitting both the arm 18 and actuating member 23 to extend in the direction of the plane of the base it). The sudden arresting of the swinging motion of the member or arm 18 as the same abuts the base 10 results in the inertia of the operators hand forcing the shearing and pressing member 41 toward the base 10. As the edge of the shearing and pressing member plate portion 42 adjacent the edge 43 of the channel shaped member 20 moves past said edge 43, it neatly shears the stamp projecting beyond the edge 43 from the strip of stamps. The operator then need only continue to exert downward pressure on the cover plate 43 until satisfied that the stamp has been pressed against the surface of the envelop for a sufficient length of time for the glue or gum thereon to become properly moistened for the stamp to adhere to the envelop.

Upon the release of the operators hand from the cover plate 48, the spring 37, which has been placed under tension. by the relative movement of the arm 18 and the actuating member 23, tends to pull the bridge end 27 of the actuating member 23 toward the bracket 38 on the free end of the arm 18. The pivotal movement of the actuating member 23 resulting from the action of the spring 37 causes'the arm 18 and actuating member 23 to be restored to their initial positions as shown in Fig. l. A suitable stop in the form of a projection or lug 51 on the arm 18 is provided to limit the upward movement of the arm 18, the stop abutting against an edge of one of the brackets 12. The spring 37 is adapted to be under slight tension when the parts of the device are in an inoperative position to keep the parts from rattling as the device is carried from one location to another.

An important feature of the foregoing construction and arrangement embodied in the present invention is that at no time is moisture applied directly to the strip of stamps or thelike before'the individual stamp is separated from the strip. Since the strip is dry, the stamps will shear neatly without tearing. Also, the operator may be assured that each stamp will have a full coat of gum available for sticking the stamp to an envelop since only the stamp which is to be affixed to the envelop comes in contact with any moisture.

I claim:

1. In a gummed material dispensing device, a base, a member swingably mounted on said base, guide means on said member for guiding the material past a shearing edge thereof, feeding means carried on said member for advancing a predetermined length of said material beyond said shearing edge, arm means pivotally mounted on said member having one part thereof adapted to moisten a predetermined area of the surface which is to receive the gummed material as another part thereof actuates said feeding means, both of which actions occur as the member is swung toward said base, and means constructed and arranged to shear said predetermined length of material from the main portion thereof and press the same to the moistened receiving surface upon conclusion of the swinging movement of said member.

2. In a gummed material dispensing device, a base, a member swingably mounted on said base, guide means on said member for guiding the material past a shearing edge thereof, a toothed roller means rotatably mounted on said member for advancing predetermined lengths of said material beyond said shearing edge, arm means pivotally mounted on said member having one part thereof adapted to moisten a predetermined area of the surface which is to receive the gummed material as another part thereof actuates said feeding cam means, both of which actions occur as the member is swung toward said base, and means constructed and arranged to shear said predetermined length of material from the main portion thereof and press the same to the moistened receiving surface upon conclusion of the swinging movement of said member, and resilient means interposed between said member and said arm means adapted to normally maintain said member in raised position.

3. In a gummed material dispensing device, a base, a member swingably mounted at one end thereof on said base, guide means on said member for guiding the material past a shearing edge near the other end of said member, feeding means carried on said member for advancing a predetermined length of said material beyond said shearing edge, arm means pivotally mounted on said member having one part thereof adapted to moisten a predetermined area of the surface which is to receive the gummed material as another part thereof actuates said I feeding means, both of which actions occur as the member is swung toward said base, and means slidably mounted on said other end of the member constructed and arranged to coact with said shearing edge to shear said predetermined length of material from the main portion thereof and press the same to the moistened receiving surface upon conclusion of the swinging movement of said member, and resilient means interposed between said member and said arm means adapted to normally maintain said member in raised position.

4. In a device for dispensing and affixing gummed material to a receiving surface, a swingable member pivotally mounted at one end thereof on said base, means rotatably supporting a rolled strip of said material on said base, guide means on said swingable member, feeding means rotatably mounted on said member, actuating means comprising an arm member pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said swingable member, said arm member having means mounted on one end thereof engageable with said feeding means to cause partial rotation of the latter thereby to advance a portion of said material through said guide means into dispensing position, the actuation of said feeding means occurring during movement of said swingable member from a first position to a second position, and means carried on said other end 5 of said swingable member adapted upon said swingable member reaching said second position to be actuated to shear said portion from the rolled strip of said material and to press the same against said receiving surface.

5. In a device for dispensing and affixing gummed material to a receiving surface, a swingable member pivotal- 1y mounted at one end thereof on said base, means rotatably supporting a rolled strip of said material on said base, guide means on said swingable member, feeding means rotatably mounted on said member, actuating means comprising an arm member pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said swingable member, said arm member having means mounted on one end thereof engageable with said feeding means to cause partial rotation of the latter thereby to advance a portion of said material through said guide means into dispensing position, said arm member having means mounted on the other end thereof adapted to transmit wetting fluid from a well in said base to said receiving surface thereby to moisten the same, the actuation of said feeding means and said moistening action occurring during movement of said swingable member from a first position to a second position, and means carried on said other end of said swingable member adapted upon said swingable member reaching said second position to be actuated to shear said portion from the rolled strip of said material and to press the same against said receiving surface.

6. In a device for dispensing and affixing gummed material to a receiving surface, a swingable member pivotally mounted at one end thereof on said base, means rotatably supporting a rolled strip of said material on said base, guide means on said swingable member, said guide means terminating in a shearing edge, feeding means rotatably mounted on said swingable member, an actuating means pivotally mounted intermediate its ends between the ends of said swingable member, said actuating means having an element on one end thereof engageable with said feeding means and means on the other end thereof movable on said base, the element on said one end of said actuating means being adapted to cause partial rotation of said feeding means thereby to advance a portion of said material beyond said shearing edge, the actuation of said feeding means occurring during movement of said swingable member from a first position to a second position, and means carried on the other end of said swingable member adapted to be actuated upon said swingable member reaching said second position to coact with said shearing edge to shear said portion from the rolled strip of said material and to press the same against said receiving surface, and resilient means connected to said swingable member and said actuating means adapted normally to maintain said swingable member in raised position.

7. In a device for dispensing and affixing gummed material to a receiving surface, a swingable member pivotally mounted at one end thereof on said base, means rotatably supporting a rolled strip of said material on said base, guide means on said swingable member, said guide means terminating in a shearing edge, feeding means rotatably mounted on said swingable member, an actuating means pivotally mounted intermediate its ends between the ends of said swingable member, said actuating means having an element on one end thereof engageable with said feeding means and a roller on the other end thereof movable on said base, the element on said one end of said actuating means being adapted to cause partial rotation of said feeding means thereby to advance a portion of said material beyond said shearing edge, said roller being adapted to transmit a moistening agent from a well in said base to the receiving surface thereby to moisten the same to receive said gummed material, the actuation of said feeding means and the moistening action of said roller occurring during movement of said swingable member from a first position to a second position, and means carried on the other end of said swingmoistened receiving surface.

8. In a device for dispensing and affixing gummcd material to a receiving surface, a swingable member pivotally mounted at one end thereof on said base, means rotatably supporting a rolled strip of said material on said base, guide means on said swingable member, said guide means terminating in a shearing edge, feeding means rotatably mounted on said swingable member, an actuating means pivotally mounted intermediate its ends between the ends of said swingable member, said actuating means having an element on one end thereof engageable with said feeding means and a roller on the other end thereof movable on said base, the element on said one end of said actuating means being adapted to cause partial rotation of said feeding means thereby to advance a portion of said material beyond said shearing edge, said roller being adapted to transmit a moistening agent from a Well in said base to the receiving surface thereby to moisten the same to receive said gummed material, the actuation of said feeding means and the moistening action of said roller occurring during movement of said swingable member from a first position to a second position, means carried on the other end of said swingable member adapted to be actuated upon said swingable member reaching said second position to coact With said shearing edge to shear said portion from the rolled strip of said material and to press the same against said moistened receiving surface, and spring means connecting said actuating means and said swingable member for restoring the latter to said first position.

9. In a device for dispensing and affixing gummed material to a receiving surface, a swingable member pivotally mounted at one end thereof on said base, means rotatably supporting a rolled strip of said material on said base, guide means on said swingable member, feeding means rotatably mounted on said member, actuating means comprising an arm member pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said swingable member, said arm member having means mounted on one end thereof engageable with said feeding means to cause partial rotation of the latter thereby to advance a portion of said material through said guide means into dispensing position, the actuation of said feeding means occurring during movement of said swingable member from a first position to a second position, means carried on said other end of said swingable member adapted upon said swingable member reaching said second position to be actuated to shear said portion from the rolled strip of said material and to press the same against said receiving surface, and spring means connecting said arm member and said swingable member for restoring the latter to its first position.

10. in a device for dispensing and affixing gummed material to a receiving surface, a swingable member pivotally mounted at one end thereof on said base, means rotatably supporting a rolled strip of said material on 5; id base, guide means on said member for guiding a strip of said material toward the other end thereof, feeding means including a toothed roller mounted for rotation on said member, actuating means pivotally mounted on said member and constructed and arranged to actuate said feeding means to move said strip a predetermined distance upon said member being swung from a first position to a second position, and means adapted upon said member reaching said second position to be actuated to shear a portion of said strip from the main portion thereof and to press the same against said receiving surface,

ll. In a device for dispensing and afiixing gummed material to a receiving surface, a swingable member pivotally mounted at one end thereof on said base, means rotatably supporting a rolled strip of said material on said base, guide means on said member for guiding a strip of said material toward the other end thereof, feeding means including a toothed roller mounted for rotation on said member, actuating means comprising an arm member pivoted on said swingable member, said arm member having means mounted on one end thereof engageable with said feeding means to advance a portion of said material into dispensing position upon swinging movement of said swingable member from a first position to a second position, and means carried on said other end of said swingable member reaching said second position to be actuated to shear said portion from the main part of said material and to press the same against said receiving surface, and resilient means connected to said swingable member and said arm member adapted normally to maintain said swingable member in raised position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS LMA 

